Giving Notice - Chapter Thirteen (THE FINAL CHAPTER)

Hey gang, make sure you read the post I just submitted BEFORE you read this one, because you don’t want to miss Chapter Twelve, and it’s not typical for me to post two chapters at once. If you’ve already read chapter twelve, then please enjoy the conclusion of Giving Notice. I really hope you enjoy it, because I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of anything I’ve done in my life than I am of this book. I love you guys

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Though they had gone their separate ways after leaving the Master’s quarters, Max, Damon, Oliver, and their respective companions arrived at the entrance to the ballroom nearly at the same moment. From the other side of the closed double doors, the group could hear the loud, muffled thump of dance music.

“Shall we make our big entrance?” Oliver asked, smiling.He was holding Christian’s leash with one hand, and the rabbit’s hand with the other.

“Oh, let’s!” Damon barked. “I can’t wait to get out on that dance floor with you, Tony!” The eager terrier laughed and threw open the doors. The ballroom was dark, though brightly colored spotlights periodically swept the room. It seemed as though everyone in the manor was in attendance, in their full kink regalia. Everywhere Max’s eyes flew, he was treated to the sight of half-naked (and often, fully naked) men grinding against one another.

“Wow,” Max said as he stepped through the portal that Damon and Tony were kindly holding open for the group. He linked arms with Stephen and Corey, and the three stepped into the ballroom.

Though the great room was clearly decorated for more formal occasions, with long flowing drapes and ornate columns everywhere, it had been turned into the site of a rave party by the residents of the manor. Techno music was booming through the room thanks to large speakers set up in each corner of the dance floor that spanned the entire far end of the ballroom. Closer to the entrance, folding tables covered by white paper tablecloths had been set up, and Max was overjoyed to see Connie standing behind one. The doberman was busying himself ladling bright pink punch into disposable paper cups.

“I’m gonna go say hi,” Max said, gesturing in Connie’s direction and nearly shouting to be heard over the music.

“I’ll come with you,” Stephen said. “Corey?” He turned to the cheetah on Max’s other arm.

“I’m going to go find Seventeen, see if I can spot him in the crowd. You guys go ahead, I’ll find you in a little bit!” With that, the feline dashed off, vanishing into the sea of flailing limbs almost immediately.

Max laughed and pulled Stephen closer. “Come on, let’s go say hi to Connie!” he shouted, pulling Stephen behind him. The pair made their way toward the beverage tables, carefully dodging people as best they could.

“Hi Connie!” Max said, dashing around to the other side of the table to greet his friend.

“Well there he is!” Connie replied. “Come give Momma a hug!” He was wearing a bright floral-printed, summery dress, and several glowstick necklaces in various colors were looped around his neck. “Max, honey, I’m so fucking proud of you. What you did today will live in infamy! You’ve gotta be the bravest man in the entire house.”

“It’s funny, it didn’t feel that brave at the time,” Max replied bashfully, before smiling.

“Connie, you look radiant,” Stephen said. “Prettiest belle at the ball.”

“And look at you, all daddy as fuck,” Connie returned, smiling at Stephen’s t-shirt. “You gotta be real proud of your boy here, huh? The whole house has been talking about it all day. Punch?”

“None for me, thanks,” Stephen said. “And I am. This has been a hell of a day, but Max did all of StartAgain proud.”

“Guys,” Max whined bashfully. “It’s not that big of a deal.” He gratefully accepted a cup of punch from Connie.

“Like hell it ain’t,” the other canine replied. “Max, sweetie, you really have no idea how much courage it took to ‘fess up to your dad like that, do you?” he asked, putting down the clear plastic ladle. “There aren’t many people I know who could’ve done something like that. Nevermind standing up to your bully and publicly shaming him like that. I never met that Marcus guy, but he looked like an asshole.”

“Oh, he’s totally that,” Max said. “Where’s Julio? He isn’t with you tonight?” The golden retriever turned his head and quickly surveyed the room.

“He’s around,” Connie responded. “He said something about taking his chair out for a spin on the dance floor. I volunteered to help out tonight, but volunteers are only doing one hour shifts, so I’ll be able to join him in a few minutes. You boys gonna do some dancing tonight?”

“Yes ma’am!” Max laughed. “I hope they’ll do a slow dance for me, so I can sway with Daddy for a while.” He finished his punch and crumpled the paper cup before tossing it into the recycling can next to the table.

“You should put in a request with the DJ,” Connie said. “He’s all the way over in the back corner, if you can get to him through the throng of nekkid bodies.”

“We might just have to do that,” Stephen said. “And I definitely want a dance with you tonight at some point tonight, Connie, if your dance card isn’t too full.”

“Too full for you? Never,” the doberman pinscher replied. “Now you boys go have fun, and I’ll see y’all in a while!”

Max linked arms with Stephen again. “Let’s go check out the dance floor,” he said brightly. The pair nodded to Connie and began working their way through the crowd again. They made it to the edge of the packed dance floor, but a wall of gyrating dancers barred their further progress.

“Coming through! Man of the hour! Make way,” Stephen called out as he began gently nudging people out of the way. The dancers shifted to clear a path, and several people gave Max high fives as he and Stephen slipped past them.

“Dude, you are awesome,” a naked raven covered in glowing body paint said, shooting jubilant finger-guns as he scooted to the side to allow Max to pass.

“Wow, thanks!” Max replied, startled and flattered.

“I told you, everyone knows who you are now,” Stephen called over the din. “You’re a celebrity, pup, and this is your coming out party!”

Max and Stephen easily made their way to the center of the dance floor, once people began realizing who they were. Max started bouncing to the beat, twirling and spinning, sending the cape of his onesie flapping around him. Stephen laughed and started dancing in place, shuffling his feet and matching Max’s movements as best he could.

The hard-pumping techno song reached its end, and the music fell silent. Suddenly, the baritone voice of the DJ boomed out over the speakers. “I’ve just been informed that our guests of honor have arrived at last, so let’s put those hands together and give a warm StartAgain welcome to Max, Oliver and Damon! Can we get a light on our party boys?”

The spotlight, which had previously been soaring across the floor and shifting colors in time with the music, abruptly changed to bright white as it swept jerkily over the crowd. It took a few moments for the spotlight operator to get the light settled on Oliver and Christian, who were standing near the refreshment tables. Damon was much easier to find, as he was sitting across Tony’s shoulders and towering over the audience, waving at everyone cheerfully. The spotlight finally landed on Max and Stephen at the center of the dance floor.

“And there he is, the big man on campus himself. Max, everybody!” the DJ roared triumphantly. “None of us is ever going to forget what this handsome, courageous little puppy did today, eh? Let’s give it up for Max!”

The assembly roared and cheered even louder, a thunderous sound that echoed throughout the ballroom. Max felt his cheeks growing hot, and he grabbed Stephen’s paw bashfully. “Thank you!” he bellowed at the top of his lungs.

The DJ began playing the next song, a melodic remix of Pink’s anthem What About Us. “Ohhh, I love this song so much!” Max shouted, and he pulled Stephen close. “I don’t care if it’s techno, let’s slow dance!” he enthusiastically called to the amused wolf. As they began to dance, the crowd cleared the floor and watched from its perimeter, whooping and whistling and cheering for Max.

Max led the dance, swaying and stepping to the beat with his handsome wolf Daddy in his arms. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy in my whole life,” the golden retriever said, leaning up so Stephen could better hear him over the singer’s soaring vocals. “I’m standing here, dancing with the man I love, wearing the cutest outfit I own, and everyone is so proud of me. It’s an amazing feeling!”

“This is what your life is going to be from here on out,” Stephen answered as they pivoted. “This is your home, Max. Hopefully your forever home. And with your friends here to support you, you are going to absolutely shine, my love.”

The boys finished their celebratory dance and were rewarded with another round of applause from the assembly. Max smiled and waved bashfully, and he and Stephen made their way off the dance floor while the DJ queued up another techno song. The mansion’s residents immediately moved to fill the void and resume gyrating to the beat.

“I need a breather,” Max said to Stephen. “Can we find somewhere a bit more quiet to hang out for a bit? It’s so loud and crowded here.”

“Let’s move to the dining hall,” Stephen replied. “The kitchen staff will have set out a huge spread, and everyone is welcome to help themselves to it throughout the evening. It should be a lot more quiet there.”

As they slowly worked their way toward the exit, Max spied Corey and Seventeen leaning against a wall, and he steered Stephen toward them. “Hey boys!” Max called as they approached.

“That was so sweet, watching you guys have your dance,” Seventeen said, clapping Max and Stephen on the shoulder. “We were about to go get some snacks, if you want to come,” he added.

“Oh nice, we were too,” Max said. “Let’s all go together!”

The foursome worked their way to the ballroom’s entrance, and the noise level dropped dramatically as soon as the door closed behind them. “Oh, that’s much better,” Max said. “As fun as that was, I could barely hear myself think in there.”

“Corey?” a voice called from further down the hall . The group turned toward the speaker, a tall wolf who was dressed in pale blue footed pajamas with white trim around the collar and cuffs, and white vinyl toe-caps over the feet. He had a vivid blue glowstick tucked behind each ear.

“Nate!” Corey said, stumbling and nearly dropping his drink. “Hey!” He gestured for the wolf to join the group. “Everyone, this is Nate Nakamura. We met earlier today after he caught me breaking into Marcus’s room. Nate decided to help keep watch while I was rummaging around.”

“Ahh, I know Nate!” Stephen said, greeting the other wolf warmly. “He was one of the first employees I hired, just after I took over the staffing role. Good to see you, Nate.”

The cheetah gestured to his companions. “Nate, uhhh, this is Max, and Seventeen. And you already know Stephen, right? Well, I mean, of course you do. He just told us that. So I guess it’s pretty redundant for me to say it again. So, yeah, I’m not actually sure why I’m still talking, now that you know everyone, haha.” Corey’s right ear twitched as he took a long, slow drink of his punch.

Max stared in wonder at Corey. He’d never seen his best friend act this awkwardly before, and he nudged his shoulder against Corey’s as stealthily as he could. The cheetah shot him a long, wide-eyed, nearly panicked glance over the rim of his paper cup.

“Nice to meet you guys,” Nate said, without pulling his eyes away from Corey. “Max, congratulations on your big day,” he added, finally glancing away from the cheetah.

“Thanks!” Max replied. “And thank you for helping us with our big plan, even though things didn’t go down the way I thought they would.” He extended a paw, which Nate shook politely. The wolf’s eyes immediately went back to Corey, and Max had to suppress a snicker.

“Corey, guess what? I’m finally trying the diaper thing,” Nate said, his words clearly directed at the cheetah. He dragged the zipper of his pajamas down in an almost comically slow fashion, to reveal a puffy, all-white disposable diaper with some highly questionable, uneven taping. “And you’re right, they really are comfortable.”

Max glanced at his best friend, whose eyes were firmly directed at Nate’s impressive diaper bulge. After a long moment of the cheetah staring silently, Max bumped his shoulder again to reboot him.

“Oh, right! Yeah, comfortable,” Corey echoed, mouth hanging agape. The feline visibly shook himself as Nate zipped back up again. “Right… um… What were we doing? Oh, we were just going to check out the party snacks. Do… ah… do you want to come with?” He looked up at the wolf, almost pleadingly.

“Sure,” Nate said, half his mouth curling up into an uneven smile. “I was about to hit the dining hall myself.”

“Great! Great. Yeah, that’s… great. Because food is… um… awesome? I mean, who doesn’t like food? Hahahaha,” Corey gasped awkwardly.

Max and Seventeen shot each other a loaded glance, both boys trying their best not to smile. “Well, luckily it’s literally right there,” Seventeen said, pointing at the entrance to the dining hall a few steps away. “And it’s a good thing too, because I know how much we all love food, right Corey?” he teased.

Corey’s head snapped around toward Seventeen, and he gave the gecko a very brief but murderous glance. He then whipped back around to Nate and flashed his brightest smile, taking two steps forward and nearly colliding with the closed dining hall door. “Oops,” he grunted.

The group entered the dining hall, but Max grabbed Seventeen’s wrist and kept him back. “What in the actual fuck?” he whispered, laughing openly. “I think Corey’s having some sort of very slow stroke.”

“I’ve literally never seen him like this,” Seventeen grinned. “Someone’s got a cruuuuuush,” he said in a singsong voice. The boys grinned at each other and followed Stephen into the dining hall.

The kitchen staff had laid out a tremendous spread of party food on the nearest pair of dining tables. On the first table, glass bowls were filled with various kinds of potato chips, and on the table next to the bowls were small paper condiment containers full of what looked like ranch dip. At their side, serving platters were heaped full of sub sandwiches, cut neatly into thirds and stacked into a low pyramid. The second table had another punch bowl full of fruit punch, plus trays full of different flavors of miniature cookies. At the foot of the table, a huge ice chest was nearly overflowing with frosty soda cans.

Someone had thoughtfully turned the lights down to about one-third their usual intensity. The room was fairly empty, with occasional small groups of guests seated here and there, talking animatedly. At one of the farthest tables, Max saw a familiar figure seated by himself. “Astral!” he called out.

The seated equine’s head snapped up nervously, but when his eyes fell upon Max, he grinned a broad smile. He stood and began approaching the group of friends, a paper plate heaped with snacks balanced precariously in one hand. “Max! And Mr. Andrews, and Corey and Seventeen too. Oh, and a new person,” the pegasus said bashfully.

“This is Nate,” Corey said. “Nate’s a… new friend. Nate, this is Astral, he’s our less-new-but-still-pretty-new friend.”

“Astral, you and I need to talk, now,” Max said, insistently hooking his arm through Astral’s free one. “Stephen, do you mind making me a plate? Two of the little sandwiches and some sour cream and onion chips, please. We’ll be right back, guys.”

Max steered Astral back toward the rear of the room, to the confused smiles of his friends. Once they were far enough away, Max sat at one of the tables and nodded to the seat next to him. Astral slowly sat down, apprehension visible on his face. “What’s wrong, Max?” he asked cautiously.

“Nothing’s wrong. But I've gotta know, what the heck, man? You handled Marcus like a sack of old potatoes today, and then Mr. Davies said something about your service to the Crown. So, you need to spill, because I’ve been dying of curiosity all day.”

Astral began blushing scarlet. He stammered and took a moment to get his wings under control. “I’m… not really supposed to talk about that, Max,” he said at last. “It’s about my previous career, before I came to StartAgain.”

Max nodded and lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “Well, I’m not going to tell anyone, but you can’t leave me hanging or I’ll actually lose my mind. Where did you learn to be a badass like that? How are you so freaking ripped? What did Mr. Davies mean about serving the Crown? What Crown?”

Astral shook his head and considered for a moment. “The British Crown,” he said in a low voice. “You can’t say a word, Max,” he cautioned.

“I won’t. Cross my heart, I swear on… I swear on StartAgain,” Max said, leaning closer.

“I was employed by the British government before I came here,” Astral said slowly. “Do you know what the SIS is, Max?” The canine shook his head, confused. “Okay. Do you know what MI-6 is? It stands for ‘Military Intelligence, Section Six’.”

Max’s thought for a moment, and his eyes grew wide. “That’s like the English version of the CIA, isn’t it? Like, James Bond and all of that?”

“Sort of. The SIS is the Secret Intelligence Service. Most people have heard of the MI-6 branch, which is British Foreign Intelligence. As an SIS agent, my job was to ensure the safety of Britain and to protect the United Kingdom against foreign influence.”

“So… you were a spy?” Max asked, incredulous.

“SHHHHHH,” Astral hissed. “Yes, I was a spy. Counter-terrorism, to be specific.”

“But, you don’t look like James Bond,” Max said. “No offense,” he added, chagrined. But he couldn’t wrap his brain around the notion of his awkward, incredibly shy friend serving as some sort of international super-spy.

Astral bit into a chocolate chip mini cookie and chewed for a moment. “You know what the number one rule of being a spy is, Max? Don’t look like a spy. Folks like me don’t raise red flags. It’s all about looking like someone unimportant, someone who blends in. And I did. I was doing pretty well with SIS, until I had an unfortunate encounter with a nerve toxin. I survived the exposure, obviously, but it did some permanent and significant damage to my nervous system. And here I am,” Astral said.

“Oh my gosh, Astral, I didn’t know. I’m so sorry,” Max said, mortified. He placed a paw on the stallion’s hand.

“Oh, it’s okay,” Astral said. “I stopped the threat and saved… well, nobody really knows how many lives I was able to save that day. But I’m never going to get my motor control back. So, because I physically couldn’t do the job anymore, I had to retire. And, because we aren’t supposed to talk about our time with SIS, I was given a healthy monthly retirement stipend and shipped off to America to start a new life. It was pretty hard at first. I didn’t really know what to do with myself, and my time in the Service can’t really be listed on a resume. I worked for a security firm for a while, as a consultant, but then StartAgain recruited me. So, I get to tend to my peaceful garden and enjoy my retirement.”

Max nodded slowly. “Do you miss it? The spy stuff, I mean?” he asked gently.

Astral considered for a moment. “I did. Terribly, at first. After the incident, I really did think my life was over. I was being put out to pasture, both proverbially and literally. But, you know what? I don’t miss being in constant danger, or having to rub elbows with some of the worst people on the planet. I don’t miss having to keep up a fake persona, pretending to be someone I'm not even with my closest friends and family. It’s nice to be somewhere where I can just… quietly live my life, you know? And, well… since I met you and your group of friends, I’ve started to feel a bit more at home here. It’s nice to have some mates I can just be myself around.”

Max nodded emphatically. “Exactly. I told my parents my deepest, darkest secrets today, and I was only able to do that because I have friends to make me feel safe, who I can be me with. I completely get it.”

Astral nodded and gently wrapped a wing around Max, careful not to bump the canine with his brace. “You can’t tell anyone, Max. I’m so serious. Being a retired spy is basically like being stuck in witness protection. If anyone found out about my past, my life could seriously be in jeopardy.”

“I won’t,” Max said, shaking his head, “I promise. I won’t even tell Stephen or Corey. But, Mr. Davies knows already, right?”

“Oh, no,” Astral said, shaking his head and tossing his mane. “Outside of the SIS, you are the only person who knows. My cover story is that I was an officer in the British military, and I had to be honorably discharged after being diagnosed with a degenerative muscular condition. Nobody can ever know about my past, Max. I shouldn’t have told you either, but it’s so exhausting, carrying that kind of secret around. And I trust you, you were my first real friend here. But please, Max, this can never, ever get out.”

“My lips are sealed, I swear,” Max said, honored that Astral would trust him to this degree. “We’ll never discuss this again, unless we’re somewhere private and you bring it up. So, that said, thank you for your service, military officer Ashley.” Max gave his friend a cheerful wink and a mock salute. “Shall we rejoin the others? Corey’s losing his absolute shit over this wolf he met, and it’s a fun trainwreck to watch. I’m going to end up teasing him mercilessly later, and I strongly encourage you to do the same.”

Astral chuckled, and the pair rose to join the rest of their group, who had seated themselves much closer to the entrance.

“Everything alright, Max?” Stephen asked curiously, scooting his chair slightly to give the canine room to sit.

“Oh yeah,” Max said. “I was just thanking Astral for being a total badass and shutting Marcus down the way he did today. It felt a lot safer, knowing Marcus couldn’t lash out at anyone.” He gave Astral an encouraging smile and a very private, knowing glance.

Astral settled into a free chair at the table, and the group never did make their way back to the ballroom. Instead, they were joined roughly an hour later by Connie and Julio, and shortly thereafter by Mike Jennings and his badger boyfriend Chris, who Max was excited to finally meet. Even Mr. Warren eventually made his way over and joined the gathering. They laughed and chatted, shared stories and reminisced, and enjoyed the warm feeling of companionship only found when surrounded by the people they’re most comfortable with.

*****

It was well after midnight, and Connie had just launched into a tale–something about a flamboyant bookstore clerk; an immensely overweight, homophobic church lady; and a Bible that would apparently feature as a thrown projectile at some point in the story–when Max happened to glance toward the door just in time to see Zane quietly enter the room. The zebra walked to the dessert table and began stacking a few mini cookies on a napkin.

“Zane!” Max called, and the rest of his friends turned. “Would you like to join us?” Max asked, gesturing to his coworker.

The zebra seemed surprised by the invitation. “I’d hate to intrude,” he said, uncertain.

“Nonsense, dude, you’re one of us now. Come sit at the cool kids’ table,” Corey invited warmly.

Zane nodded and slowly made his way over to the table where Max’s friends were gathered. “Thanks, guys,” he said simply. He looked Max in the eye and nodded once, slowly. "Mr. Andrews, Mr. Warren, everyone." He smiled faintly.

“Connie here was just telling us a story, and his stories are always the best,” Max said, leaning back to give Zane a side hug. “Connie, you’ve gotta start over again so Zane gets the beginning. You said this happened at a bookstore in Georgia where you used to work?” he prompted.

As Zane took a seat next to Astral, and as Connie started sharing his story for the second time, Max couldn’t help but look around at this gathering of all his closest friends. In the span of a single day, Max’s understanding of family had changed. This was exactly what his life had always been missing, this comfortable companionship. This was where he belonged. No matter what might happen with his mom and dad, no matter how poorly they might react to Max’s scathing voicemail, none of it mattered in the grand scheme of things. Max had finally found his place in the world, after years of drifting aimlessly. If his mom and dad couldn’t accept him, he had a wonderful support network of true friends who already had.

Max turned from Stephen to Corey, from Seventeen to Connie, from Mr. Jennings to Mr. Warren, to Astral, to new friends Zane, Nate, Julio and Chris, and he felt his throat growing tight. I love them all so much, he thought gratefully.

Connie must’ve reached one of the funniest points in his story, because everyone erupted into laughter. Max, distracted by his own thoughts, had missed the punchline. But it didn’t really matter; the joyful sound of the people he cared about most laughing in unison was music to his ears, and he joined in the laughter too.

*****

Max glanced at the clock on his phone. It was after three in the morning already. The group had said their goodnights and had begun making their way back to their rooms and, from the sound of things, the party next door was winding down as well. The group of friends had dispersed, one and two at a time, until only Max, Corey, Stephen and Mr. Warren were still seated at the table.

“I’m so glad we don’t have to work tomorrow,” Mr. Warren said, yawning. He checked the time on his wristwatch. “Oh god, and I just realized, I don’t have to deal with Marcus’s fuckups at work anymore,” the hawk said, grinning. “Max, if you weren’t already one of my favorite people, that alone just landed you Employee of the Month in my book.” Mr. Warren rose from his seat. “But, work or not, I need to find my pillow very soon. Good night Max, Stephen, Corey,” he said, nodding to each before departing.

Mr. Warren’s yawn was contagious, and Max found himself echoing the yawn. He stretched one arm over his head, as far as he could, and covered his mouth with his other paw. “This was such a blast,” he said to Stephen and Corey. “Getting to hang out with all my friends, old and new, was just awesome. I can’t remember when I’ve had this much fun.”

“Right?” Corey said. “But I’m completely beat. Let’s head back upstairs so we can all crawl into bed, yeah?”

Max, Stephen and Corey stood and gathered up their plates and cups, depositing them in the nearest recycle bin as they exited the dining hall. There were a few straggling partiers still standing around talking in the exterior hall, but most everyone had already made their way back to their rooms, whether to sleep or to engage in more private celebrations with one another.

“Corey, what in the heck was all that between you and Nate?” Stephen asked, grinning down at the shorter cheetah. “I’ve never seen you like that.”

“Oh my god, I don’t know!" he replied, a horrified look stretching across his face. It’s like… I dunno, Mr. Andrews, but when he’s around I just can’t stop myself from saying the stupidest things. Do you think he noticed?” Corey gave Max and Stephen a pitiable, pleading look as the trio began slowly drifting toward the elevator.

“Did he notice that you have the world’s most obvious crush, you mean? Yeah, I’m pretty sure he noticed,” Max said. “I mean, he asked you to dinner next Friday. So clearly you did something right. And you obviously made enough of an impression on him that he wore a diaper and footies to the party. I’d take that as a win.”

Corey blushed scarlet. “I’m going to die. We’re going to go on this date, and I’m going to start babbling, and then I’m going to freakin’ choke on my own tongue and die, and I'll completely miss out on hot diaper fucking with the sexy wolf,” he squeaked. He hid his face behind his paws, and his ears went flat against his head.

“Yup, you got it bad,” Max said. “Oh my gosh, they grow up so fast, don’t they? My baby bro’s dating. I’m so proud.” Max dabbed mock tears from his eyes.

“Stoooooop,” Corey whined. “I’m too tired and too soggy right now to deal with your teasing, Max. I just want to get changed, get into my jammies, and crater into my bed for approximately twenty-four hours.”

“Want me to change you, Corey?” Stephen offered.

The exhausted boy nodded and yawned. “Only if it's no trouble, Mr. Andrews,” he said once his yawn had finished.

“Oh… hmm. About that,” Max began nervously. “Stephen and I were talking earlier,” he said, glancing up at the wolf. “About you. You’re my best friend and baby bro, and Stephen is my Daddy. And you two are really good friends with each other.”

The three companions arrived at the elevator and boarded it. Corey nodded and yawned again, gesturing for Max to continue. Stephen pressed the button for the residential floor and the doors closed with a quiet whoosh.

As the car began to slowly rise, Max continued speaking. “And so I was thinking, what if Stephen was your Daddy too? Only if you want,” he added quickly. “Maybe that sounds weird to you, I dunno. But you guys are both my family, and I think I’d really like that arrangement.”

Corey’s eyes grew round. “I… wow. What about you, Mr. Andrews?” the cheetah asked, suddenly much more awake.. “Is that something you want, too?”

Stephen shrugged his shoulders and turned to face Corey. “The idea isn’t unappealing, I admit. You’re a good friend, Corey, and I feel like we’ve grown even closer over the last month. And there’ve been more than a few times since you arrived at StartAgain where I might have considered the notion, had I been in a better place mentally. It just took Max to get me to a point where I was ready to be a Daddy. But I only want that if it’s something you’d want too. And only if it wouldn’t create any awkwardness or jealousy. Because Max is my little boy, but he’s also my boyfriend, and so there would still be times when I’d want to just spend time with him alone. I like you an awful lot, Corey, as a really good friend. But I’d still need one-on-one time with Max sometimes, yeah?”

The elevator arrived at the residential floor, and the companions disembarked and resumed walking. Stephen began speaking again. “That doesn’t mean I don’t love spending time with you too, however, so I imagine there’d be lots of times when it would be all three of us hanging out. So, I guess what I’m saying is…” Stephen held Corey’s paw and looked into his eyes. “Would you like to be my little boy, Corey, just like your baby brother? No pressure at all, but Max and I would both really like that.”

Corey blinked. He stared straight forward for a moment. He blinked again. Finally, he looked at Max and Stephen. “Okay, I was not expecting this,” he said slowly. “But like, heck yes! I mean, I like you a lot too, Mr. Andrews, but I am not interested in you romantically, to be very clear. Although apparently I do have a thing for wolves, or at least one in particular? But that’s a ball of awkward feelings for a different conversation.” He stopped walking, and Max and Stephen stopped in turn. “So, a couple things. One, I’m so incredibly down for this idea, but only if it doesn’t affect my friendship with you guys or negatively affect your relationship with each other in any way. It has to be something we’re all three comfortable with. Two, if at any point me being a part of this becomes too much, you have to tell me. I promise it won’t hurt my feelings, as long as we’re always friends. Fair?”

“Agreed,” Stephen said, and Max nodded happily.

“Number three. And this one is mega important,” Corey said, his voice growing flat. He looked at Stephen and Max expectantly.

“Of course, what is it?” Max asked. He placed a paw on Corey’s shoulder.

“The first time we have a hot, kinky diaper threeway with each other, can I pleeeeeease be in the middle? Because you guys do not know how hot that would be for me to be plowing my baby bro while my Daddy takes me from the back,” Corey said, grinning.

“OH MY GOD, COREY!” Max exclaimed, rolling his eyes.

“Whaaaat?” Corey asked innocently. “Horny? Diaper-obsessed? Kitten? What part of that are you still not getting, Max? Because it seems like you’re struggling with understanding my constant sexual needs, and it’s starting to become tired.” He erupted into laughter, and Max and Stephen began guffawing in turn.

“Well boys, in that case, sleepover at Daddy’s place tonight? There's plenty of room in my bed for all of us, if you boys are up to it.” Stephen asked, gesturing toward the hall that led toward the management quarters. “Though I’m telling you both right now, sex is off the table until I get at least ten hours of uninterrupted sleep.” He pulled both boys into a tight hug.

“Oh, that’s fine by me, Mr. Andrews. As strange as it is to say, I’m too tired for sex right now anyway,” Corey said before trailing into yet another yawn.

“Corey, if I’m going to be your Daddy, we’ve got to talk about this ‘Mr. Andrews’ business. We’ve been friends for months now, and I’ve told you over and over to call me Stephen. Or Daddy now, as the case may be.” Stephen placed a paw on each of his boys’ shoulders and steered them gently toward his suite.

"I'll try! It's just a hard habit to break, Mr., ah, Daddy," Corey said, smiling sheepishly.

“This is so freaking cool,” Max said as they walked. “My family. My Daddy and my baby bro. We’re a family now. Ahhh, I’m so happy!”

“Of course you’re happy, pup. You're not the one who has to change twice as many diapers now,” Stephen chuckled wearily. He gave both boys a happy squeeze.

As the newly formed family slowly strolled down the long hallway toward Stephen’s apartment, Max discovered that he was physically unable to stop grinning. Daddy and Baby Bro, he thought, beaming. My two favorite people in the whole world. My family. And we all live together in this strange house, where everyone has a weird kink, but where nobody thinks anyone’s kinks are weird. A huge mansion in the middle of nowhere, built on bigoted old railroad money, and turned into a home for lost boys. Except I’m not lost anymore. It's like something out of a really strange, impossible fairytale.

Max watched Stephen and Corey as they walked, overjoyed to see how easily they were already slipping into the roles of Daddy and little boy. The comfortable friendship between the three meant more to Max than anything else in the world.

This is my home, and this is my family, Max thought, his eyes growing misty. I’m surrounded by all my wonderful friends, and I have no more deep, dark secrets. It’s all out in the open, and there’s no reason to feel any shame or fear anymore, not ever. Marcus has no idea what a favor he did me.

It really is like a fairy tale, Max thought as he lovingly squeezed Stephen and Corey’s paws, releasing them only when they had finally arrived at Stephen’s door. The wolf slipped his key into the lock, and they went inside together. And they all lived happily ever after, Max thought, overflowing with a new and unfamiliar sense of contentment, an internal peace he’d never experienced before.

He smiled, exhausted but brimming with love. “And we all lived happily ever after,” he said under his breath as he quietly closed the door behind himself.